Clutch plate



jUHY 26, 1932- G. s. sALzMAN ,868,543

CLUTCH PLATE Filed April 3, 1930 INVENTOR. Ceog 65a 62nd?? A TTORNEY` Patented July 26, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE eEonGE s. sALzMAN,

PRODUCTS GQMPANY, orA

OF CLEVELAND HEIGHTS., OHIO, ASSIGNOR T THE MONMOUTH CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO CLUTCH PLATE Application led April 3,

This invention relates to a clutch plate, and aims to provide .such a plate of simple and strong construction which will be smooth in operation and which will give an even trans- E, mission of power throughout its circumfer- 10. means closed means constituting principle of the invention may be used.

2o omitting the friction rings; .and

In said annexed drawing: Fig. 1 is a face view of my improved plate v ig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-.2 of Fig. 1, showing particularly the arrangement of the tongues.

The clutch plate as shown comprises a flat metal disc 1 centrally apertured at 2 for 3o' art.

fitting on a shaft'in the usual manner and having additional holes 3 and 4 for use in making up the clutch assembly, as will be readily understoodl by those skilled in the The resilient elements of the clutch comprise circumferentially directed tongues 5, 6, each separated on three sides from the main body of the plate by H-shaped slots 7 so formed and disposedthatthelcross bars 8 of the Hs are radial and the legs 9 and 10 are arcs concentric' with the circumference and of equal angular lengt These tongues are `thus integral on one radial side with the body of the disc and the body portions 11 'so remaining may be regarded as spokes in the plate. A mar inal portion 12 of the plate is left outside te longer.marginal slots 9, giving rigidity. Y l

Referringnow particularly to Fig. 2, it will be noted that the tongues 5 and 6 are bent alternatel inward and outward as at 5 and 6' from the lspoke'portions 11 and are again flattened in parallel relation to, but out of the plane of, the plate body and thespokes plate as a whole. It

1930. Serial No. 441,235. v

11. Facing material of the usual type is ap plied as at 13 on each side of the plate and riveted thereto at 14 in the customary manner.

Fig. 2 illustrates the plate with its facings without load. When power is to be transmitted and the load is put on the clutch, the tongues ings as will he readily understood.

In consequence of the slot construction, and particularly of the elements 8 of the slots, room is allowed for the movement .of the tongues 5 and 6' as the plate is flattened without any. distortion or uneven arrangement of parts, each tongue being free to contribute its own spring action to the operation of the clutch is provided with a number of equally spaced bearing surfaces, each of equal resiliency, so that the wear on the facings 13 will be evenly distributed and long life will be assured to the various elements of the clutch.

5 and 6 flatten out between the facy will thus be seen that my y It will be understood that theexact aru rangement of tongues, alternately bent on either side ofsthe spoke sections 11, is not essential to the invention, inasmuch as the purposes could be equally well accomplished by bendingtwo successive tongues in one direction, the' next two in the opposite direction, and so on, the principle being that equal areas for the support of the facing must be furnished on each side at equal distances apart. Iconsider the form of Fig. 2 the most advantageous and as best adapted to meet this requirement, but I do not limit myself thereto.

Thev'use in pended claims of such terms as radial and circumferential is intended to be descriptive and not limiting, and it will be obvious, t

andposition that the principle of operation remains the same.

In 'makin up my improvedr clutch, the ease or ,sti ness of action, in other words,

-this specification and in the apy the resiliency of the plate as la., whole, is not entirely dependenton the thickness and the temper of the metal, but Within stockof equal thickness and temper may be varied by the amount of bend applied at base portions and 6 ofthe tongues, the stiffness of course increasing the more sharply these base porltions are4 inclined.

'sides of the plane of the plate.

- fOther modes of applying the/principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards vthe'mechanism herein d isclosed,.provided the y means stated by any ofthe following claims a pluralityv 2. A clutch plate comprising eing defined of pairs `of tongues, each pair by 'an H-shapedvslot, said slot being dis-.

posed with the bar element of the H radial,

said tonguesbeing offset in equal numbers on opposite sides of the plane of the plate.

3. clutch plate comprising a plurality of tonguesjoined to said plate on substantially i.radial lines and separated therefrom by one radial andtwo circumferential slots, said tongues being at least as long-radially as circumferentially directed tongues offset from the plane of the plate, a plurality of parallel sided radial spokes, said tongues having their ends remote from said spokes free, vand a pair of continuous friction facing rings secured to the end portions only of said tongues.

8. A clutch plate comprising a plurality of circumferentiallyy directed tongues offset from the plane of the plate, and a plurality of parallel sided radial spokes, said tongues having their ends `remote from said spokes free, and extending in opposite circumferential directions, said plate including an integral circumferential ring outward of said tongues, said ring being joined to said plate by said spokes, and continuous friction facing rings secured to the said tongues.

9. A clutch plate comprising in combinav tion a plurality of tongues joined lto said plate vback to back by substantially radial joining portions and separated therefrom by twoy concentric slots, a radial slot connecting said circumferential slots at their mid length, said plate including a circumferential outer ring kintegral with prolongations of said joining portions, and continuous friction facing rings secured to the' end portions only 0f sald tongues.

Signed by me this 28th da of March, 1930.

A GEORGE SALZMAN.-

circumferentially, said tongues extending beyond the plane of the plate, an equal number l of suchtongues being disposed on either side of such plane, and continuous facing rings secured tothe offset portions only of said tongues separately on each respective side.

4. A clutch' plate comprising a plurality Of circumferentially directed tongues offset from the plane of the plate, and a plurality of parallel sided radial .-spokes, sai'd tongues v.having their ends remote from said s okes free and extendlng 1n oppos1te circum erential directions, said plate including an integral circumferential ring outward of said tongues, said ring being joinedto said plate by said spokes.

' 5, A clutch plate comprisingin vcombinatwo concentric slots, a

tion a'plurality of tongues joined to said plate back to back bysubstantially radial vjoining portions and separated therefrom by radial slot connecting said circumferential slots at their mid length, ysaid plate including ential outer ring, ingportions.

6. A clutch plate comprising a plurality'of circumferentially directed tongues offset' from'the plane of the plate and a pairv of continuous friction facin ringsl secured to the offset portions only og said tognnes.

,- 7 A clutch plate comprising arplurality of an integral circumferprolongations ofsaid joinend portions only of4 

